Bibliothèque Pascal

Hungarian-German-British-Romanian co-production movie "Bibliothèque Pascal" (spoken mainly in Romanian, occasionally in English, while Hungarian is used extensively only in a single theatrical monologue) deals with the heavy subject of human trafficking and sex trade, presented through an imaginative world of the main character, (in)voluntary victim of a modern day slavery, who, in her attempt to reclaim custody of her little daughter, (un)knowingly resorts to fairy-talish description of how she met and lost a man who fathered her daughter and what extraordinary powers little Viorica inherited from him, of good causes she followed to accept her foreign "sexploitive" engagement, and of the imaginative way her "services" were delivered. The only mild objection that can be given to the movie is that everything in it, revolving around Mona Paparu, quietly radiating leading character of subdued expression (brought to the screen by brilliant, classically beautiful Hungarian actress Orsolya Török-Illyés), her life, at first as a traveling artist in the puppet theatre, and later as "Jeanne D'Arc" in stylish chambers of the title "library", inhabited with prostitutes for high-end clientèle, impersonating famous characters from literature (ranging from Desdemona and Ophelia to Dorian Gray and Pinocchio) is too nice and polished for the ugly and rough reality the movie deals with-(the very same sole objection that can be given to Guillermo del Toro's extraordinarily beautiful, phantasmagorical "El laberinto del fauno" ("Pan's Labyrinth"), 2006, in which a young girl escapes from brutalities of life and her ruthless stepfather, army captain in WW2 fascist-ruled Spain, into the fascinating world of her own imagination)-confronting guilt and innocence, violence and kindness, coldness and compassion.

A visually stunning film in the style of Guillermo Del Toro or Wes Anderson, I was riveted by the ever evolving story of Mona, a Romanian-Hungarian woman who is at first show in the office of a social worker. She is asked why she abandoned her child and moved to England for a time, leaving the girl to be taken care of by a relative. What follows is almost beyond description.

Through a series of dream fantasy sequences, Mona's story begins with a day at the beach where a man is hiding in the sand and is being chased by the police. The couple have a quick romantic interlude and we jump ahead to Mona and her daughter living a bare bones existence.

Circumstances send Mona to Britain where she is held captive in a strange brothel where wealthy men can experience their fantasies within the context of high art. Rooms are set up with themes such as Joan of Arc, Lolita, and various other classics.

Do not expect a linear storyline but stick with this unusual drama for an overwhelming movie experience.

I consider this a master piece! It is a rated adult fairy tale. It is a dream projected to the viewers.

It has distinctive story telling. The sound compilation and cinematography are both great. The film creates such an impact you either love it or hate it.

Sex and violence always catches viewers attention.But it has never been done this way!

The film is absurd and surreal. Director Szabolcs Hajdu is not afraid of taking the risk.And be who he really is! I haven't seen something raw powerful and original like this movie for a while.

I do not have a shadow of a doubt to rate this movie with a 10 out of 10 , and I know I am not the only one who like it a lot. Probably is the best movie of the year 2010. Maybe if you already read the plot you got an idea about the movie but as the expression states:SEEING IS BELIEVING you we'll realize that this is exactly the case; You have to see it ! It is so rare nowadays to see real directors with good ideas , imagination and directors who tells us stories , now when everything is cheap and kitsch most of the Hollywood movies are remakes or you got the impression they got nothing to offer .As I mentioned in the title this movie is marked by a magical realism but is not like Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Isabel Allende or another Latin American writer the magical realism is European or should I locate it to the central and eastern Europe. They are no stereotypes about eastern europeans or politics in this movie , and there is a story , you just have to be patient , actually the movie is about story telling from the moment Mona starts to tell the story of herself and her daughter and later on at the fair and at the end in the furniture store.

If you think this is going to be one of those sprightly bright Balkan ethnic panoramas in the superficially entertaining Kusturica mold, you're in for a surprise: Beneath all the visual pizazz and eccentric characterizations lies a deeply disturbing portrait of a society marked by physical and mental exploitation as well as moments of human kindness.

Director Hajdu spins an intriguing web of shifting and merging narrative levels of reality versus imagination, both grim and light. By doing so, he gets a better grip on the imponderability of life than most "real" social dramas put together.

Some may find the way he's handling the brothel scenes way too florid, but bear in mind the narrative's fantastic underpinnings and all fits into place.

8 out of 10 literate pimps